Category Archives: Yoga

Often times, we have a lot of really great thoughts run through our head. On paper, most of us are pretty logical creatures. We know what we should be doing when it comes to our health and fitness. The problem is, should be doing and actually doing are quite often world’s apart.

Let’s take something a lot of us have probably pledged to start doing at one time or another; yoga. I don’t know about you, but I struggled for the longest time to get consistent with my yoga practice. I’d go through bursts of yoga dedication, but watch my strength and/or cardio training slack. Then, I’d over compensate and wouldn’t see the inside of a yoga studio for months at a time.

Anyone else in a similar boat? Have you thought about doing yoga for a while now, but just can’t get consistent? Well, if you haven’t you absolutely should start thinking about incorporating yoga into your fitness life. Yoga has numerous benefits, not least of which are its ability to improve flexibility and…drum roll….help you lose weight. Yes, yoga can significantly help you lose weight. Yoga will help you lean out, tone up, slim down…whatever you want to call it. It has a remarkable ability to change your body like few other forms of training. The only problem is, you’ve got to do it consistently to achieve these benefits.

How Yoga Helps you Lose Weight

Before we get into how you can become more consistent with your yoga practice, lets dive into the real reason everyone is here today: how can yoga help me lose weight?

Have you ever looked at the body of someone who practices yoga regularly? Often times, they’ve got a narrow waist line, appearing quite lean, with definition in their arms, shoulders, and back muscles. Simply put, they just LOOK healthy. One of the key elements yoga training introduces you to is isometric strength training. To put things in context, doing a bicep curl with a dumbbell is a form of concentric training. The muscle shortens as it contracts. Isometric training on the other hand, allows the muscle to contract without shortening. This type of training has been scientifically proven to deliver big muscle gains, which in turn are going to help raise metabolism, causing you to burn more calories and lean out faster.

So let that one sink in for a minute. You thought the only way to get that tight and toned look was by lifting heavy weights, huh? Well, that’ll certainly help, but it’s definitely not the only way to go about things. As always, it’s good to have a well-rounded plan and mix and match your physical activity. By introducing yoga and the isometric strength component that it brings, you’re going to be well on your way to that well-rounded fitness program.

Tear Down The Wall

Let’s now revisit our little problem from earlier; how are you supposed to realize the weight loss benefits of yoga if you can’t even get consistent with your practice? For most people, getting consistent with yoga usually means going to a studio, paying $10-20 per class, feeling a little out-of-place, and generally never getting into the swing of things. The key to yoga consistency, at least for me, was eliminating as many obstacles as possible. By putting as few barriers between me and my yoga practice, I was able to get the consistency I wanted, and in turn, take my body and health to an entirely new level.

Today, I want to share with you what has worked so well for me. The Muscle & Flow Yoga Series, designed by Bay Area fitness all-star, Shauna Harrison, has been my savior. This five-class series is nearly five full hours of yoga lessons, exactly as you’d find them in your favorite yoga studio. For me, this was the solution to all my problems. I could literally click a button, put a full-length yoga lesson on the TV screen, and be led through an entire yoga routine by a well-known yoga instructor. I found the number of lessons in this series was just right; it kept me interested without leaving me feeling overwhelmed.

The ability to throw a full-length yoga lesson on your TV screen means you don’t have to pay for each yoga class you attend. You don’t have to get in your car and drive 20 minutes to the yoga studio after work. You don’t have to flop around in front of 30 “regulars” as you start your yoga practice. Yoga in an OnDemand fashion allows you to incorporate this wildly beneficial form of training into your life whenever, and wherever, you want.

For me, this was what finally allowed me to get regular with my yoga training. As I’ve built skill and confidence, I do find myself going to a local yoga studio from time to time. I do enjoy the variety, but I always find myself coming back to Shauna’s Muscle & Flow yoga series as my go-to.

Start Dropping those Pounds Today

If you’re on the fence…just do it. The investment you make in yourself by dedicating your time and resources to a full-time yoga practice, are going to pay dividends down the line. If you’re struggling to lose those last few pounds, give yoga a shot. I can’t tell you how many people I’ve seen finally get started with yoga, and soon after, make the body improvements that have eluded them for so long.

Yoga’s ability to help you lose excess weight and transform your body is real. Yes, it can actually work for even you. But it’s only going to work if you stop thinking and start doing. Give yourself a shot to truly experience your full-potential and incorporate a yoga practice into your life today. By starting with these five yoga lessons from Shauna, you’ll slowly gain confidence and appreciation for yoga, while simultaneously adding lean muscle mass and reducing your body fat. Sounds like a win-win to me.

To get started, check out Shauna Harrison’s five-part Muscle & Flow yoga series and get on the road to a total body transformation. The best part is, not only will you help yourself, you’re going to help others in need as 50% of proceeds are donated to the physical education program at Edgewood Elementary in Baltimore, MD.

It’s only so often that you come across a workout series that is so special it really makes you pause and have a second look. Muscle + Flow by Shauna Harrison is just such a plan and I for one, am especially excited to share it with you guys. For starter’s Muscle + Flow is a unique blend of body limbering yoga, combined with strength-boosting movements designed to transform your body in a way you’ve probably never experienced. Want that long, lean, and strong yoga body? Muscle + Flow is the kind of thing that’ll help you get it.

But before I get into this anymore, let’s look at the creator of these killer workouts, Miss Shauna Harrison…

From her blog:

Shauna is a self-proclaimed nerd, hip-hop head, jock, and yogi. After playing sports throughout her childhood, she segued into the fitness and yoga world just as she started her academic path at Stanford University and hasn’t stopped since. Simultaneously pursuing academics and fitness, Shauna taught a wide range of classes including step, hi/lo aerobics, Pi/Yo, indoor and outdoor boot camps, mat Pilates, Hip Hop Cycle™ (which she owns), core, yoga and aerial yoga all while completing her undergraduate and multiple graduate degrees. This included teaching in the Bay Area, Los Angeles, Baltimore and even in Costa Rica and the Dominican Republic. Shortly after finishing her PhD in Public Health from Johns Hopkins University, Shauna also secured a sponsorship with Under Armour®, a major brand in sports and fitness, proving that should could excel in both worlds.

Muscle + Flow…Defined

So let’s get into this a little bit more. What exactly IS Muscle + Flow. Well, let me put it to you this way. You guys know I’m more of a gym rat, only sporadically squeezing a little yoga into my routine. I gave all five parts of the Muscle + Flow series a try, and let me tell you…I’ve never felt soreness in certain areas of my body, like that before. But this was different. It wasn’t just like I ran to the gym, pumped a ton of weights, and had that, it-hurts-so-good soreness that sets in. This after effects of Muscle + Flow was simply one of the greatest post-workout feelings I’ve ever experienced. It’s truly hard to put into words. I recruited Shauna for a little help here, and asked her to sum up Muscle + Flow and described what it means to her…

I describe Muscle & Flow as yoga with some edge. I do a building flow
(stacking poses in a sequence) based off of more traditional Sun Salutations
but I add in various elements of strength and power as well. It’s
essentially a mix of vinyasa, power, pilates, fitness and sometimes event
sports giving a more athletic style to the flow. In the classes I teach
live, I set all of it to hip hop and r&b playlists, which gives it a very
different vibe as well.

Okay, yeah. That helps put into words what I feel Muscle + Flow truly is. The whole event sports combined with pilates combined with power really hits the nail on the head, at least for me.

Get Started with Muscle + Flow

We’ve partnered with Shauna on this one and will be offering a five-part Muscle + Flow series right here on Share It Fitness for anyone who’s interested in taking their fitness to new heights with this unique opportunity. Each class clocks in at nearly an hour, giving you five hours worth of pure, unadulterated yoga bliss. Led by one of the Bay Area’s top fitness instructors, Shauna has the goods. It takes a special person to be able to generate a huge turn out at varying yoga studios across the country. The Muscle + Flow series is your chance to take this unique blend of yoga and fitness, delivered by one of the country’s best and fastest-rising yoga instructors.

Not only that, Shauna has made a very special pledge to the kids at Edgewood Elementary School, for each Muscle + Flow series that’s purchased. Check this out…

Edgewood Elementary School in Baltimore, MD has adopted my #SweatADay challenge school wide thanks to one of their teachers and my friend Kaitlin Loftus. Every day the students do the assigned exercise with their morning announcements. I have developed a relationship with the school and have been out to visit a few times. I want to be able to provide them with some funds for equipment, guest instructors, field trips or whatever they need to continue to educate the kids on the importance of movement. To do this, 50% of the net proceeds from my first set of videos will go to this school. In the future I would love to work with other schools as well and always have some type of “share it” piece of the sales of my videos.

Talk about someone really getting the whole “share it” vibe that we preach around here. So seriously, help yourself get fit and at the same time, help someone else do the same. I can’t think of a better or more worthy cause than that. So really, let’s do this people. Get yourself your five full Muscle + Flow classes, help out some amazing kids, and get started building that lean, mean, athletically amazing body today.

So let’s get it done – sign up today and lock in your 5 classes of Muscle + Flow with Shauna Harrison by following the link below:

We know that the practice of yoga is rich in benefits for adults, but did you know yoga can also have significant benefits for children? In addition to cultivating flexibility, strength, and coordination, yoga can also reduce stress and anxiety through the teaching of breath techniques that promote self-soothing and emotional regulation. Yoga for kids classes have grown in popularity, particularly in urban-centric areas. However, not every child has access to the benefits yoga can provide.

Share It Fitness is excited to release the pilot episode from Jodi the Yogi, a new series that teaches yoga to kids!

In this video, Jodi the Yogi and her best friend, Downward the Dog, teach the viewers how to stand strong like mountains in “Tadasana” and self-soothe by focusing on their breath through the song “Crisscross Applesauce.” Please share it with the children in your lives and let us know what they think!

Jodi the Yogi is depending on our donations to give kids everywhere free access to yoga. Please support this project by clicking on the image below. Even a little contribution helps! If you DO contribute, comment below and let us know and we will send you a code for 10% off one of our FitPlans!

We know that the practice of yoga is rich in benefits for adults, but did you know yoga can also have significant benefits for children? In addition to cultivating flexibility, strength, and coordination, yoga can also reduce stress and anxiety through the teaching of breath techniques that promote self-soothing and emotional regulation. Yoga for kids classes have grown in popularity, particularly in urban-centric areas. However, not every child has access to the benefits yoga can provide.

Share It Fitness is excited to release the song “Criss Cross Applesauce” from Jodi the Yogi, a new series that teaches yoga to kids!

In this video, Jodi the Yogi and her best friend, Downward the Dog, teach the viewers how to self-soothe by focusing on their breath through the song “Crisscross Applesauce.” Please share it with the children in your lives and let us know what they think!

Jodi the Yogi is depending on our donations to give kids everywhere free access to yoga. Please support this project by clicking on the image below. Even a little contribution helps! If you DO contribute, comment below and let us know and we will send you a code for 10% off one of our FitPlans!

We know that the practice of yoga is rich in benefits for adults, but did you know yoga can also have significant benefits for children? In addition to cultivating flexibility, strength, and coordination, yoga can also reduce stress and anxiety through the teaching of breath techniques that promote self-soothing and emotional regulation. Yoga for kids classes have grown in popularity, particularly in urban-centric areas. However, not every child has access to the benefits yoga can provide.

Share It Fitness is excited to release the song “Tadasana” from Jodi the Yogi, a new series that teaches yoga to kids!

In this video, Jodi the Yogi and her best friend, Downward the Dog, teach the viewers how to stand “strong like mountains” as they learn a fun and accessible sun salutation through the song “Tadasana.” Please share it with the children in your lives and let us know what they think!

Jodi the Yogi is depending on our donations to give kids everywhere free access to yoga. Please support this project by clicking on the image below. Even a little contribution helps! If you DO contribute, comment below and let us know and we will send you a code for 10% off one of our FitPlans!

We know that the practice of yoga is rich in benefits for adults, but yoga can also have significant benefits for children! In addition to cultivating strength, flexibility and coordination, yoga for children can also help to reduce stress and anxiety through the teaching of age appropriate breath techniques that promote self-soothing and emotional regulation. Yoga for kids classes have grown in popularity, particularly in urban-centric areas. However, not every child has access to the benefits yoga can provide.

“Jodi the Yogi, a new interactive kid’s series, aims to make yoga accessible to young children everywhere! Set in the magical World of Om, Jodi the Yogi and her best friend, Downward the Dog, engage the viewers with catchy songs and inspiring stories that actually get kids moving, breathing, and doing yoga!”

Ellen Brown
Writer, Producer, and Co-Creator

Watch the video below to hear more about their project

Share It Fitness is excited to support Jodi & Ellen by releasing three original Jodi the Yogi songs over the next two weeks, all of which give specific directions that actually get children doing yoga! Stay tuned for our release of “Tadasana,” “Criss Cross Applesauce,” and “Namaste.” We hope you’ll comment below if you plan to share with your children and that you provide feedback on each one!

Jodi the Yogi needs our support in generating funds to pitch their concept to networks and production companies around the world. They won’t be able to make yoga available for kids everywhere without our help! To contribute to this exciting project, please click the image below. Even a little contribution helps! If you DO contribute, comment below and let us know and we’ll send you a code for 10% off one of our FitPlans!

Follow Jodi the Yogi on Twitter (@joditheyogi) and feel free to like them on Facebook

Whether you like it or not, shedding that extra weight and tightening up your body is going to take a little bit of cardio. And as it turns out, most of us have a love/hate relationship with cardio…which we often associate with HIIT sprints, stationary biking, jump roping, burpees, etc. It’s understandable most people aren’t dying to do an hour of mindless cardio, but time and time again, us fitness bloggers, trainers, and other self-proclaimed professionals recommend more cardio. It’s like the four-year old who wont eat his broccoli..instead of giving him a carrot, we keep trying shove more broccoli down his throat.

Well, I’m here to say, enough is enough. If your inability to commit to a fitness plan that has loads of sprinting, biking, and/or jump roping is keeping you from reaching your goals, I’ve got another solution – yoga. That’s right, using yoga for weight loss isn’t something most people think of, but it can be so very effective. Most of us associate yoga with flexibility, getting “toned”, or mental relaxation. But, if the lesson is designed in the appropriate way, it can have the same calorie-blasting benefits as that run or bike ride. After consulting with a couple of our favorite yogi’s, we were able to put together this five-part yoga for weight loss series that promises to deliver loads of heart-pounding, sweat-dripping goodness.

Not Just for Cardio Haters

The great thing about this five-part yoga for weight loss series is that it’s great not only for those who hate traditional cardio, but also for those with bad knees, ankles, or other joints that make the high-impact nature of most forms of cardio something to be avoided. Using yoga as your cardio session is going to open up some benefits more traditional cardio just can’t deliver. Whereas standard cardio, like distance running, can actually lead to a loss of flexibility, uptempo yoga sessions are going to actually increase your flexibility. This of course results in longer, leaner muscles, better protection from injury, and increased blood flow and improved circulation.

So if you find you have a flexibility problem – and if you’re like most of us, you do – I’d suggest giving this yoga for weight loss series a try. Even if it’s only for a couple of weeks, I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised by how much better your body seems to move and flow.

Yoga for Weight Loss…Why it Works

Have you ever examined the body of someone who practices yoga regularly? We all probably know these people, so think hard for a second. What do nearly all of them have in common? Long, lean muscles? Check. Great body awareness and flow? Check. Low levels of body fat? Check. An overall high-level of health and well-being that just oozes from them? Check.

It’s no surprise the bodies of hardcore yogi’s are so fit and lean – yoga really is a great transformer. A regular dose of yoga is going to help shed pounds, specifically body fat. Since yoga incorporates a great deal of resistance training, in the form of body weight exercises, you’re going to actively hit your muscles while simultaneously burning those calories. This unique combination of body weight resistance training combined with a sustained elevated heart rate, is going to provide a fat burning, weight loss workout like few things can.

You see, regular cardio, such as running, is all about bumping your heart rate and burning calories. While this is great for overall weight loss, many people tend to have issues with muscle loss – which puts you on the fast track to a sluggish metabolism and soft, squishy exterior. That’s right, too much cardio can actually make you fat and soft. To combat this, it’s a great idea to include workouts that not only bump your heart rate, but also hit your muscles hard at the same time. Things like metabolic conditioning, circuit training, or this yoga for weight loss series, are great alternatives to the endless bouts of cardio that spell death for many a metabolism.

How We Developed this Yoga for Weight Loss Plan

Just because you’re doing yoga, doesn’t mean you’re doing yoga for weight loss. As you probably know, there are dozens of forms of yoga, each with its own specific focus and format. If you’re looking to specifically use yoga for weight loss, there are two main things that must be considered.

To be a great yoga lesson that promotes fat loss and a high calorie burn, these two requirements are:

Elevates heart rate to 60-70% maximum heart rate

Targets major muscles groups through the use of sustained body weight holds and poses

To recap the above, we’re looking for yoga lessons that are uptempo enough to elevate your heart rate so your body sufficiently burns calories, while simultaneously targeting your major muscle groups and leaves you with a great muscle burn. This two-pronged approach is going to prove instrumental in helping you burn fat, lose excess weight, and tighten up.

With those requirements in mind, I hooked myself up to my Polar heart rate monitor, and got to work. I cycled through some of our OnDemand yoga lessons, worked with a couple of our yoga instructors, tried some new yoga lessons out, and ultimately found five awesome yoga classes that meet the above criteria. For someone who is well accustomed to high-intensity training, but not so much yoga for weight loss, this proved a real challenge, but something I was so happy I tried. I was hitting my body in a way it really hadn’t seen before, which was great for pushing my limits and burning loads of calories.

So check out this five-part yoga for weight loss series below and give each yoga lesson a try on its specific day. Remember, because yoga is actually quite gentle on the body, you can feel free to work this yoga series into any of our other workout series. Or, if you’re one of our FitPlan members, feel free to use these yoga lessons as your “extra credit” workouts.

Yoga for Weight Loss: The Ultimate 5 Day Plan

Note: You must be a Share It Fitness member to access the yoga videos below. But don’t worry, signing up is quick, easy, and FREE – so take a second to join our community and get access to these, plus hundreds of other OnDemand fitness classes.

Your practice today is led by Merrin, and is a perfect starting point for anyone with relatively limited experience with yoga. You’re going to learn the importance of the yoga breath, learn how to move through some fundamental yoga positions, as well as strengthen your upper body and core with body weight holds…all while burning calories as Merrin keeps a quick pace in this 30 minute lesson.

Today’s lesson incorporates some dumbbells into a standard yoga flow. Really hit those muscles hard, while getting a great calorie burn with this lesson from your instructor Jenn. To maximize the benefits of this class, do your best to maintain the pace and intensity that Jenn has set for you. This class is just 22 minutes long, so feel free to run through this lesson twice, circuit-style, for over 40 minutes of fat blasting fun!

Your yoga practice today takes an advanced approach to hitting your core muscles while also providing you with a great flow and uptempo pace. Perfect for building that tight and toned tummy, Yoga Core should be a staple in any yoga for weight loss series.

Your flow today is led by Joy, and she takes a calculated approach to calming your mind while invigorating your body. Expect to really push your limits, and your endurance, in today’s 50 minute session designed to strip away fat and leave you with a calmed, happy, and open mind.

While just a hair under half an hour in length, today’s detox yoga practice is no joke. Carolina leads us through our practice today, complete with a variety of body twists and inversion holds to really bump that heart rate, pound those muscles, increase flexibility, and completely cleanse your body and mind.

Introducing the latest addition to our columnist team, Joni Erdmann!! We’re so excited to add her immense talent to our writing team, and hope you enjoy her witty and inspiring posts! Please help us welcome her with a comment below and make her feel at home here at our Share It Fitness family!! And with that, enjoy her first post below! -Matt

I’ve done yoga before. In fact I wrote a research paper on the subject, which required immersion into a yoga studio to fully become a part of that particular yoga community. I know some poses, a little of the Sanskrit, and while my handstand still requires a spotter, I wouldn’t say I’m terrible at the whole routine.

Yet it always requires a great deal of bargaining with myself to go try a new studio. It’s like I revert to the 2nd grade version of myself, starting a new school year. Regardless of if it’s a sunny summer day, I recall what it felt like in Septembers with my backpack on, pigtails neat and Barbie lunch pail packed.

“You’re SUCH a big girl! You’re going to have so much fun!” my father would say as he was dropping me off, reassuring my shaky, nervous self. Worries of if the kids would like me, if the teacher would be nice, rushed through my mind and visibly appeared on my face. But it was all up to me to take those steps into the classroom and be somebody.

Such is nearly the exact same experience walking into a new yoga studio. Except now my hair is in a bun, I’ve traded the Barbie lunch pail for a blue yoga mat, and Dad is cheering from a much further distance. Nevertheless, I have the exact same worries. Are the kids going to like me? Will the teacher be nice?

Yet I’ve been struggling to find a studio in San Diego I really mesh with, and in the 4 years I’ve lived here I’ve seemingly become the Groupon yogi bandit. I’d find a Groupon, try the studio, and then move on if I didn’t really love it. I’ve tried quite a few studios that way, and unsatisfied with my findings, I haven’t done yoga in over a year.

I pretty much gave up the search. “Screw it, I’ll just stick to running. Why do I have to put myself through the terror of first days of school? I’m almost 30 for Buddah’s sake!” But I know how good yoga is for cross training and it honestly forces me to do the stretching that I’m otherwise pretty half-assed about.

Well, last week it was the first day of school, I mean yoga, again. I found yet another Groupon for a studio I was unfamiliar with in my neighborhood and decided to give it a try. I drove the mile and a half to get to this latest finding and when I did, hopped out of the car and wandered the little mini mall area matching the address. After probably a whole 20-seconds of searching, I bobbed into a small surf shop where two guys who seemingly worked there were chatting.

“Hey there’s no yoga in here!” joked the tall one in my general direction.

“Aw come on,” I quipped, “there’s plenty of space right there. I’ll just set up my mat!” They laughed and carried on the banter by offering to join. I said I would next time, then asked where the studio was. The blonde one explained I was on the entirely wrong side of the little complex. I thanked them and then hurried back on my way.

I was a few minutes late, but finally found the tiny studio tucked in a corner between a gym and a Starbucks. After momentarily considering getting a Frappuccino instead, I walked in and found two other people inside. It was a small space, inviting yet intimidating. Inviting in that there were friendly art pieces such as an altar with Hindu knick-knacks, yet intimidating because I could easily be spotted as the newbie in the small, lightly attended setting.

After rolling out my mat and stretching for a minute, the teacher took his place at the front of the room. “I don’t recognize you,” he said straight to me. “What’s your name?”

So much for my anonymity. “Joni” I announced, feeling as though I was lying.

“Great, welcome. This is a bit of an intermediate class, but feel free to take your time, use moderations, whatever you think your body needs today.”

Well that was a good start. I was outed as the new kid and started to grow concerned that this was an intermediate class. While pondering when the actual last time I set foot in a studio, another yogi walked in. Shortly thereafter, the 5 of us began to practice.

I realized quickly that my marathon training did zero help for my tree or pigeon poses. I’ve never been all that flexible, but I was pretty surprised that almost every single pose required a modification, or some kind of blocks to support me.

It was as though my nightmares were coming true…I suck! The teacher came around to correct my poses often, and it was admittedly embarrassing. He must think I’ve never stretched in my life.

Before crawling into myself and throwing an I’m-the-worst-at-doing-yoga-than-anyone-ever party, I pulled myself out of my frustration. Guess what I did today? Showed up! And guess what else? I’m doing it!

Sometimes it’s hard to be gentle with ourselves when we have goals and want to reach them. While yoga is intended to be a practice suitable for anyone at any level of health, it can be intimidating to walk into a yoga studio. Like I mentioned, I’ve done this before, and it still scares me to go to a new one.

Trying something new always takes a little courage. And stepping into a new studio, a new soccer field, joining a new team, trying a new gym, it can be a little bit of effort to get yourself there. But it’s important to constantly challenge our comfort zones. I can promise you, 5 years ago I would have fallen over dead if a couple of good looking surfer guys talked to me.

But one of the biggest lessons I’ve learned lately is to embrace those moments you are caught off guard. To place yourself in those uncomfortable situations, if only because you know it’s good for you. I gave up on yoga for a while, but decided it was time to challenge myself again. I am happy to report that I have been back to that studio 4 more times…and I’m getting better at it! It’s even improved my running and I’m starting to make some new friends. Most importantly, I’ve FINALLY found my new yoga home.

So this summer I challenge you – try something new…that isn’t so new! Were you a baseball star in high school but haven’t picked up your mitt since? Or maybe you have had the same struggle I’ve had, in that yoga is fun for you but you just haven’t done it in a while. Did you do dance as a kid but haven’t tried in many years? There’s dance classes everywhere, grab a friend and sign up for fun!

It can be easy to fall into a routine. To stick to the same workouts because they are comfortable and you know you can rock them. Maybe trying something new isn’t as hard for you as it is for me, or maybe the very thought makes you want to just go back to bed. But I encourage you to step outside of your comfort zone, and see where a new-old challenge may take you this summer. You never know, you may finally find what you’ve been looking for.

If there were one thing I heard more than anything else it would be something like this:

How do I build longer muscles? How do I build lean muscle? I feel like I’m getting bulky whenever I lift – should I stop lifting?

The answer is a resounding NO. No, you should not stop lifting. Even if you feel you have a genetic propensity to building “bulky” muscles, you should continue to lift. It’s going to continue to help boost your metabolism, thereby increasing the rate at which you burn fat. That said, if you truly want to fight back against this perceived bulk there are things you can do which will physically change the shape of your muscles; making them appear longer, leaner, and more…lady like.

Someone posed an interesting question to me on the blog just a few days ago. Kim E. wrote:

I always notice women who are regularly doing yoga or pilates have a certain “look”. They’ve got longer and leaner bodies, without much body fat. Their muscles are almost always toned and appear to be longer than mine. Do you think people with these types of bodies are drawn to yoga/pilates, or does yoga/pilates help them build these kind of bodies?

I admit, yogi’s do have a certain look to them that is hard to deny. Being a relatively novice, and somewhat clumsy “yogi” myself, I spoke to a couple of our yoga trainers to see what they thought. Based on our conversations, it was pretty clear my assumption was correct – yoga/pilates is largely responsible for building that long and lean look. This wasn’t exactly surprising considering what I knew about stretching and its effects on the body, particularly the muscles. Both yoga and pilates place a heavy emphasis on stretching and lengthening movements, which in effect have the same benefits of a stretching routine. I’ll explain a bit more below…

The Key to Long, Lean Muscles

When you stretch a muscle, use a foam roller, or otherwise test your flexibility you’re not only loosing up tendons and ligaments, you’re also stretching your myofascia. Myofascia are essentially a sleeve, or cover, that holds your muscle in place. When your myofascia are tight and compact, your muscle stays tight and compact. When you stretch the sheath that covers your muscle, you give the muscle room to grow. When a properly worked muscle begins to grow AND has room to grow, it begins to take a different shape. The muscle gets longer, it gets leaner, and it gets less “bulky”.

So when you hear women say, “I don’t lift heavy weights because I get bulky” you’re now in a position to understand what they’re really saying, which is: “I’m getting bulky because I have poor flexibility and my myofascia are tight – not because I’m lifting heavy weights”. A combination of heavy lifting AND great flexibility training is the magic bullet to a tight, toned, and athletic looking body.

There are a ton of great strength workouts on this blog to help get your weight training in order, but something that is largely lacking from nearly all fitness blogs, is specific, flexibility workouts. Considering this is such a key component to your workout plan, it became absolutely vital that we set out to change that. After consulting with one of our yoga trainers, we asked her to put together an entire yoga lesson specifically designed to stretch and lengthen your muscles while improving flexibility of your myofascia, thus allowing muscles to grow longer and leaner.

Your Long, Lean Muscle Workout

This “workout” may not seem like a workout. Yes, it’s yoga with a variety of flexibility holds, and some people have a tough time thinking of this as a workout, but trust me, I followed along with this video on Sunday, and let me tell you…it’s a work out! I felt soreness in places I’ve never felt, I could immediately tell I had increased flexibility, and my muscles just feel nice and proportioned on my body. Being an aspect of my fitness that I’ve neglected for some time, I’m making a commitment to keep up my flexibility training 2x a week for the remainder of the year…..and I recommend you do too.

The great thing about workouts like the one I’m about to give you, is the fact you can do it frequently, on back-to-back days, on “rest” days, on days you don’t want to make it to the gym. It’s a full-le yoga stretch workout – you can do it from your computer, your tablet, your TV…doesn’t matter. Just follow along with Julia your yogi, and get a nice, good stretch, and start lengthening those muscles and turning yourself into one of those long, lean, and toned bodies you see walking in and out of the yoga studio.

This class is an hour long – so if you don’t have time for the whole thing, don’t sweat it. Just 20-30 minutes of flexibility training, a few times a week, is enough to make a difference. I would argue going for the full hour will unlock more benefits, but the important thing is you’re doing what you can and giving it your all.

Clicking on the link will prompt you to sign up for Share It Fitness – but don’t worry it’s quick, easy, and FREE!

As an added bonus, anyone signing up for a free membership is will get a five day sample of premium workouts and a two week trial to FitPlan, our customizable video fitness program. So check it out, get your flexibility on track, do some free workouts, and start living that happy and healthy life you deserve!

As a yogi newbie, I’m slowly but surely falling in love with the Boston yoga scene. I’ve tried everything from hot yoga to Vinyasa, Bikram to PranaVayu. I’ve ventured to outdoor yoga in the grassy park, and got my Downward Dog on in studios heated to over 100 degrees. But through all my trials and tribulations, I have yet to fall in love with one type of yoga: yoga before the sun comes out. That is, until this morning.

You see, I consider myself pretty active, and I’m definitely a “morning person” but something about jumping out of bed before the sun comes out to practice yoga seems daunting. I just love my bed oh so much. While many times in my yogi adventures I’ve set my intention to make it to morning practice, I’ve somehow or another always ended up fighting that grueling alarm clock. Sleep trumps yoga, or so I thought. Even on those days I was able to get myself up, I’ve talked my way out of it because I just didn’t “have time.”

This morning, I decided to bite the bullet and give a.m. yoga another whirl, and boy am I glad I did. Here are 3 little incentives to get out of bed for yoga (and actually make it to the studio.)

1. You will feel better than when you went in: It’s pretty much guaranteed that you’ll leave your yoga class feeling much more bright, cheery and glowing than when you entered. Seriously, have you ever finished a yoga class regretting your decision? Have you ever left feeling cranky, flustered or fatigued? Likely not. And that’s because yoga has that special ability to center our souls and balance our emotions. On the other hand, think of all those times you drove to work stressed out to the max, sluggish and filled with road rage…it’s OK, we’ve all been there.

Plus, if you get one of those magical yoga teachers with killer music and perfect soothing yoga voices (you know the type), all the better. When you’re in need a morning pick-me-up, this alone should be your motivation to crawl out of those comfy covers. Let’s just say, your co-workers will be wondering what got into you, and you’ll be feeling high on life all morning!

2. You’ll Do Something Good for Your Insides (and Out): While most of us think of yoga as a de-stresser or calming exercise, the practice of yoga has been recognized for years due to its many health benefits. From decreasing anxiety and blood pressure to increasing overall posture, immunity and strength, it’s plain to see this age-old exercise does more than just quiet the mind. These simple health benefits alone are enough to get me out of bed before sunrise! Who’s with me?

3. You actually do have the time: I don’t know about you, but whenever I tell myself “I don’t have time,” I know I’m lying to myself…even if just a little bit. In reality, I know I actually do have the time, so in these circumstances I typically try to fight my misconceptions by forcing myself to do something I know is good for me. For instance, if I’m swamped with work and tell myself “I have no time” to take a break, I’ll go for a short walk, take a power nap or sip on some tea. Yoga is a perfect mini vacation for those of you who tell yourself you don’t have the time, especially if you can squeeze it in first thing in the morning. Making the time for yoga not only clears the mind, but it also allows you to get back to work both present and productive! That’s a win win if I do say so myself.

Do you practice yoga? What gets you out of bed to work out?

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